


Love Letters

by mapsnika



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/F, Light Angst, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-23 21:00:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14941304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mapsnika/pseuds/mapsnika
Summary: Alex revisits the love story of her life with Olivia after finding a note left by her after she had been gone from her.





	Love Letters

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and its characters are the property of NBC and Dick Wolf. The story is mine.
> 
> Note: This story popped into my head after hearing Alison Moyet version of the song Love Letters. I would also suggest listening to Etta James version as well. They are both beautiful and soulful. Will make you want to write a letter to the one you love and hope you get a letter in return. 
> 
> No Beta: All mistakes are mind. Sorry.

**Love Letters**

**by Mapsnika**

It was the first nice morning in a long time and a warm ray of light peered in through the drapes to cast a gentle shadow on the figure asleep in the bed. She cracked one eye open pleasantly surprised that the gloominess of the previous mornings was gone and today may start off brighter than the past mornings where the sky was grey, cold and dreary.

Rolling onto her back she moved her arm to the space next to her but found it empty and cold. “Honey? Are you up already? I hope you are making coffee.” She called out in a sleepy voice. After a few moments she remembered that there wouldn’t be an answer, because no one was there.

She rolled back over and faced the window. She was happy that she didn’t have to get out of bed to move the curtains so she could see out the window at the new morning. A small Cape May warbler was singing a song to the newness of spring. She wished her lover was here to hear his song but she wasn’t. She had been gone a while and she missed waking up next to her and fighting over who would make the morning coffee. She just missed her.

Throwing off the covers she shook off the last of her sleepiness and made her way to the bathroom to start her morning. Feeling better for the first time in a while, she decided to do some things around the house that she has been putting off. She even considered putting in an appearance at the office later that day since she was finally feeling better today. She made herself a full breakfast instead of her usual toast and coffee. It felt good to feel productive after not feeling productive especially at home.

Sitting at the breakfast table for the first time in a long while she had to push a stack of papers and unopened mail out of the way to make room for her plate and coffee. She had put off going through the stuff on the table but decided to put it on the top of her to do list today. As she casually moved some of the papers around as she ate she noticed a piece of plain blue paper hiding at the bottom of a stack of papers. Because it didn’t look like any of the other papers on the table it peaked her curiosity so she pulled it out and read it as she put another forkful of eggs in her mouth. The fork hung motionless in the air before it was dropped back to the plate. Her now free hand covered her mouth as she let out an audible gasp. It was a note from her lover apparently written right before she ... She wondered how she could have never seen it before today.

_Alex,_

_I’m sorry we couldn’t have breakfast together like I promised you last night but I got called in to the precinct. It is your fault you know we slept in so late. If you hadn’t kept me up so late last night, not that I minded one bit. I will always forgo breakfast or any meal for that matter if it means making love to you. Maybe we can ‘have a meal’ tonight when I get home._

_Have a good day. I love you babe._

_Olivia_

A bright smile covered her face as she remembered that night.

They had both been working long hours and had eaten dinner separately on those days so they promised that they would get up early and have a leisurely breakfast together before they went in to work. The evening had started innocently with simple cuddling on the couch and then moving to the bedroom for soothing neck and feet massages with the pretense of reliving stress after a long hard day of work before they went sleep. That’s what Olivia had in mind but Alex wanted more. They had been working such long hours recently; sometimes Olivia had to pull an all-nighter then only having to get a few hours of sleep in the crib before having to start again. And since they were both home tonight at a not so ungodly hour she was not going to waste this precious time on sleep since knowing the jobs they had especially her lover’s they may not get this opportunity again for a while.

After Olivia had massaged Alex’s neck and feet and given her a gentle but passionate kiss, she crawled under the covers to Alex’s displeasure. Alex crawled up next to her and whispered in her ear, “Don’t you want me to return the favor and help you relax too baby?” in her most provocative voice.

Placing her arm around Alex’s shoulder  pulling her closer to her chest Olivia gave her a kiss on the top of her head before saying, “That’s okay sweetie, I know you were in court all day. Let’s just get some sleep.”

Olivia felt Alex moving around to perhaps get comfortable for sleep as she began to burrow down in the covers herself to get more comfortable to go to sleep. A few moments later she felt the weight of her lover lying prone covering her body. Before she had a chance to say anything her breasts were covered with moist lips and warm hands and all that escaped her mouth was a low moan.

When she was able to speak Olivia said, “If you keep that up, we will never get any sleep.”

Alex let out a sultry laugh that tickled the brunette’s breast which caused her to moan more loudly. Alex smiled to herself knowing that her plan was working. It had been too long and she wasn’t going to be denied tonight. She leaned up kissed her leaving no room for any misconception of what she wanted from her. And as tired as Olivia was she was now more aroused and knew at that moment she would be breaking her promise to have a leisurely breakfast with the blonde in the morning.  

Alex lightly touched the note as she recalled the passion of that evening. A single tear rolled down her cheek as the intensity of her love for that woman filled her heart. It was just like Olivia to leave a note apologizing for not having breakfast as promised even though what she did give her was so much better than any breakfast she could ever have. She was always leaving a note, cards or letters either around the house or at her office and sometimes with a gift or small token of love. And she had kept each one in the gift box she had received her first gift from Olivia when they first started dating over five years ago. Olivia had asked her a few times why she still held onto the empty box and she told her it was a good size box to keep her old knick knacks in.

Finding that note made her upset that she did not find it sooner when it had been left. Olivia had been gone for a while and she knew she would have been sad knowing that the note had just been found. She was gone so suddenly that Alex didn’t even pay attention to anything especially what was on the table. Papers, mail that didn’t need immediate attentions and various other things just got dropped on the table so the note became buried underneath all of it.

Alex didn’t even clear her breakfast dishes off the table as it became more important to find the box with all the letters from Olivia. Getting the box down from the back corner of the closet took a little more effort than she thought. Because she had not received a letter or note in a while there was no need to get the box down and other things had been placed in front of it which pushed it even further back.

Once she finally got the box down and replaced the items back on the shelf she sat down on the bed with the box placed gently on her lap. Over the years she had put the numerous gift tags and bows from other gifts that she had been given by Olivia over the top of the box. She softly caressed each ribbon, bow or gift tag that had a small sentiment of love carried with it as she remembered each gift they represented.

Just as she was about to open the box the phone rang. She wanted to ignore it but thought better of it.  She carried the box with her into the living room and placed it on the couch as she went to get the phone from the kitchen. She hadn’t talked to anyone in a while so she knew whoever was calling it must not be important as everyone was giving her space to recuperate.

“Hello,” she answered unenthusiastically.

“Alex, how have you been? I haven’t heard from you in a while.” Elizabeth Donnelly was the last person she expected to here from. She knew Alex was on sick leave.

“I’m feeling much better. What can I do for you?” she replied. She had a pretty good idea what her boss wanted but she was not going to make it easier for her.

“I just wanted to know how you were feeling and if you had an idea when you would be coming back into the office. We could sure use you. I know the SVU guys have missed your expertise.”

Why is she being so nice to me? She’s never really nice to anyone. But she wasn’t surprised that she wanted to know when she would be back in the office. “I was planning on coming back on Monday. Taking the weekend to get myself prepared and to make sure I’m back to normal.”

“That’s great. Glad to hear that you feel ready to come back.” Alex could hear the woman shuffling papers on her desk and she sat down to prepare herself for what was coming next. “Uhm, Alex…I was wondering if you could come in today and take care of the necessary paperwork that clears you to come back to work and…” Here it comes. “…possibly pick up a few files of cases that I want you to handle. Nothing major but some easy cases that you will probably only have to appear at arraignment and plead out later. I don’t want to give you anything too taxing first time back. Don’t need you going back out on sick leave again.” She tried to chuckle at her own joke but it sounded fake and forced.

Alex rolled her eyes as she took a deep breath. It was going to happen soon enough as it is so might as well do it now. “Ok Liz, I need to shower and then run a few errands and then I will be by the office sometime this afternoon.” She lied knowing that she didn’t have any errands to run. She might stop by the precinct and see the boys as it has been a while since she talked to them. She knew they were missing Liv too.

“Great, I will see you this afternoon. Bye.”  She hung up too quickly for Alex to respond but she wasn’t disappointed.

She put the phone back in its cradle and stared at the table full of her breakfast dishes for a few minutes. She was feeling better and there wasn’t any reason to not go back to work at least it will give her something to do instead of moping around the house missing Olivia. Gathering the dishes she took them to the sink to wash and put them away. As she put away the food that she had left on the counter she realized it has been a while since she had done any grocery shopping. So she got a pad and pen and created a shopping list.

When she finished, she sat the list on the table and noticed the note from Olivia still sitting there. Picking it up she went to place it in her cherished box. She stopped right before removing the lid because she knew if she did she would have to go through all the letters and then she would never make it to the office to see Elizabeth and that would make things worse. So she just placed the note on top of the box and went to the bedroom to shower and change so she could hurry home to do what she set out to do since finding the note.

Before Alex left the house, she realized that she did have a few errands that she needed to do especially if she was going back to work on Monday. Fortunately the errands didn’t involve her having to carry things so she could walk and return to the apartment before going downtown to the office. When she walked into the grey concrete building she realized how nice it was not being at the office and vowed to take a real vacation soon.

Her meeting with Elizabeth was pretty painless and she didn’t exaggerate about the cases she wanted her to handle. She figured she could even let one of the junior ADAs handle the arraignments if she wasn’t able to be prepared in time. She went by the precinct but Elliot and Cragen were out of the office and Munch and Fin were interrogating someone so she decided to leave a note on Elliot’s desk. She sat at Olivia’s desk to write the note and thought of all the times that Olivia had come by her office and left her notes and small gifts. After finishing the short note for Elliot she took another piece of paper and wrote a note to Olivia. She knew she wouldn’t see it but after finding the note from her this morning she felt compelled to write to her as if she would find it when she would look in her desk. She figured if anyone found it they would just think of it as a piece of scrap paper left about.

_My dearest,_

_It makes my heart sad to be at your desk at work and not see you here. I miss you when you are not here and I can’t see you or talk to you. I especially miss not being able to touch you. I know you are always in my heart because I can feel the love you’ve given me with every beat of my heart. It’s your love that keeps me, sustains me and holds me. I wait for the moment that our hearts will beat as one when we will be in each other’s loving embrace forever._

_Until we beat together again,_

_Yours always_

_A_

Alex looked around the desk not sure which drawer to put it. She didn’t want to leave it on the desk for everyone to see. And she couldn’t give it to Elliot or any of the others to hold so she placed in the bottom drawer where she knew Olivia always kept her personal items. She figured if she balled it up it would look like a piece of discarded paper and not think anything of it. Opening the drawer she found it empty of any of her personal items and wondered who could have taken them. She opened the other drawers at her desk and only found items that were work related and could belong to any of the detectives in the squad. Her heart sunk when she feared that they had cleared out her desk to make room for someone else.

Her eyes began to fill with tears and she knew she had to leave before she was discovered by anyone. She snatched back the note she wrote to Elliot because she didn’t want him to know she was there because he would definitely call her and she didn’t want him to tell her that someone had cleared out Olivia’s things without her knowing about it. She also took the note she wrote to Olivia as well. She would find another place to put the note at home, maybe she would start another box.

She hurried out the squad room doors just as Munch and Fin walked in from the interview room.

Munch looked over at his partner with a questioning look and asked, “Wasn’t that Cabot?”

“Yeah I think it was,” Finn answered.

“Wonder what she wanted? She didn’t stay that long.”

Finn looked over at the tall thin man and said, “She must know. I guess Elliot must have told her.”

\--------------------------

She put the note she wrote to Elliot in her pocket but the one to Olivia she held tightly in her hand the whole cab ride home. It was as if letting it go she would be letting Olivia go too.

Once in the apartment, she went directly to the cabinet and got the bottle of wine she had bought for a dinner she was planning to have with Olivia.  She took the opened bottle and a glass to the couch where her box was waiting for her. Something made her leave the note she wrote to Olivia on the table where she found the last note so it would be separate from the letters she was about to go through.

She sat down and put the box on her lap after she poured a full glass of wine. She had also taken the phone off the hook and turned her cell phone to silent so she would not be interrupted during her time with Olivia.

She opened the box and smelled the aroma that wafted out of the box. It was a mixture of Olivia’s cologne, aging paper and the leftover scents from the various gifts and papers. She inhaled deeply trying to distinguish the various smells and their origins. Taking a healthy swallow of wine before pulling the first item out of the box she had decided she didn’t want to read the last one placed in the box first but wanted to go back to the beginning. Being an organized attorney she stored each note, card and letter in chronological order. About two years ago she began keeping a small diary so she could remember what was happening in their lives when she received each note. She had gone back to the beginning and now had all the notes, letters and other special trinkets recorded in her diary.

It had been a while since she had gone through the box in its entirety but she still remembered the story of each note without having to check the diary. She entered the most recent note into the diary before pulling out the very first note she received. It wasn’t very romantic, in fact it was more of an apology letter but she could tell there was some kind of attraction there.

_Alexandra,_

_I’m sorry for what I said to you today but you just got me so frustrated. I know you were just doing your job. Regardless of how the disagreement started you were able to put the hump away for a long time. You are a good ADA. I like watching you make them squirm on the stand._

_Anyway, sorry about this morning. I will buy you a cup of coffee to make up for it._

_Olivia_

She laughed remembering that morning. Elliot and Cragen both had to calm her down that time. Even though she knew the detective wouldn’t have hurt her but the intensity of her words did scare her a bit. She was new to Special Victims and was trying to establish herself with everyone. She knew they saw her as a rich girl princess and she knew it would be better for her, for everyone to see her as an ice queen bitch. But when she first saw Olivia she knew she wanted her to see her as anything but that. She realized she had done too good a job trying to establish her ice queen image.

The second letter she got about a week later. It was after a pretty emotional case about a 10 year old girl who was gang raped by a bunch of gang wannabes. Because of some technicality Alex had to put the girl on the stand to testify against them. The defendants had sent their cronies to try to intimidate her and her family. Alex had worked with the girl every day to help prepare her until she had to testify and spent several long nights preparing her closing. She found out later that Olivia had come by her office several times during the trial to see if she wanted to get some food with her but she was either so consumed in the stack of papers on her desk that she didn’t notice anyone or she had fallen asleep at her desk. Olivia and the rest of her team of detectives were invested in the case wanting to get a conviction but there was something even stronger for Alex. It could have been the spending so much time with the little girl and her family, wanting to get justice for all involved or proving to the SVU that she was one of them and supported them.

When the trial was over the gang members all were sentences to 15-20 years for felony rape and witness tampering. It was Alex’s first big case since becoming the ADA for the SVU office and her fellow ADAs wanted to take her out to dinner to celebrate her big win. When she returned to her office she found a blue envelop sitting underneath a mug that said NYPD SVU team. The card inside was a Congratulations card with a handwritten note inside.

 

_Alex,_

_I know how hard you worked on this case to put them all away. I saw how tender you were with Amanda. When I talked to her after the trial she told me that she wants to be a lawyer just like you to put away all the bad guys._

_I’m glad you joined our team and the scum you put away see you as an Ice Queen Bitch and little girls like Amanda see you as their hero. I hope you can see me as your friend even though we didn’t start out that way._

_Let’s go out soon for dinner or drinks to celebrate._

_Like I said before, you are a great ADA. Thanks for your hard work._

_Olivia_

This was the start of their relationship. They did go out for that dinner and drinks as friends but the dinner and drinks to celebrate the win was with the team not just the two of them. Even if it wasn’t the two of them she did enjoy getting to know all of them better. It also helped her understand Olivia better seeing how she related to the guys especially Elliot. Throughout that evening she and Olivia sometime ganged up on the guys and felt triumphed when they were able to embarrass them. She smiled when she remembered what Munch had said about the two of them.

“I think I liked it better when nobody liked you, Cabot. Now that Olivia likes you, you two are gonna gang up on us men. This reminds me of how it was with my ex-wives.” They all laughed and Alex felt that she was truly a part of the team.

There were many more notes and cards that were like that one but the one that meant the most was the one where Olivia’s feelings started to come to the surface. Alex had lost a case that should have been a win and she was beating herself up for it. She went up against a pretty sleazy defense attorney who was known for playing dirty. When Alex came into her office the next morning there was a bouquet of wild flowers on her desk. She wasn’t she sure at first who they were from but hoped it was from a certain detective.  Even though the card was written in the generic printing from the florist shop, she knew the words were from the brunette.

_Alex_

_Let me take you out and show you how special you are_

_Olivia_

Around four o’clock she received a phone call with an official invitation to dinner. They had made a deal to only spend the first ten minutes of the evening talking about work and the rest would be spent getting to know each other better. And that they did.

There were other short notes about meeting for lunch or dinner. And there were invitations to attend other social events besides dinner or drinks like plays, movies and concerts but strictly as friends. They both were fighting their attraction toward each other although anyone that knew them well enough already figured it out. So when Alex got the note that officially asked her out on a date she must have read the note over and over again for an hour before she called her to accept. And when the date wasn’t set for another few days she carried the note with her constantly to reinforce that it was really happening. And then the day before their date she received another note from Olivia which caused her to leave work early because she could not focus on anything but the upcoming date. The note was nothing elaborate, just a few concise words: _‘Can’t wait to take you out tomorrow.’_

She had spent the afternoon shopping for the perfect outfit to wear. She was glad that their date was on the weekend because she knew she wouldn’t be able to manage a day of work. That night was everything she had hoped it would be. When Olivia came to pick her up they stood and stared at each other for several long moments and Alex couldn’t believe that this was really happening and that she was finally going to live out her fantasy.

Olivia had made reservations at an intimate French restaurant. The waiter led them to a table in the back where there were candles and a bouquet of flowers waiting on the table. Once they were seated Olivia took the flowers and presented them her.

“Usually flowers are presented at the start of a date but I wanted you have beauty throughout the evening. But when I saw you at the door I knew these flowers couldn’t compare to your beauty.” Olivia handed her the flowers and Alex couldn’t help but tear up.

When she took the flowers she took Olivia’s hand and brought it to her lips placing a gentle kiss on knuckles which caused them both to smile. The waiter came over with a bottle of wine and poured them both a glass.

“Olivia, you thought of everything.” Alex placed the bouquet on the other end of the table so her hands would be free. “If this is what you do on first dates, I can’t wait to see what you do on a second date,” Alex said as she lifted her wine glass.

“I want to propose a toast.” She lifted her glass and came within inches of Alex’s. “To you, one of the fiercest, compassionate and most beautiful women that I have the privilege to know.”

Before they clinked their glasses, Alex added, “and to you who is also equally fierce, compassionate and beautiful that I’m grateful wanted to spend her time with me.”

The rest of their evening played out like a fairytale for Alex. After dinner they went for a leisurely walk through central park before Olivia brought her back home. They parted with a simple kiss that carried with it a promise of more.

Alex didn’t receive a note after that evening but she kept the ribbon that was tied around the flowers as a remembrance. There other dates they had were all different but just as special even if they weren’t elaborate or overtly romantic but they brought them closer with each one.

The next card she took out of the box she received after the first time they made love. It wasn’t planned because they were going to play in the NYPD softball tournament and then go for pizza and beer with the gang. There was a mix up with the ground crew and they ran the sprinklers about an hour before everyone got to the field so it was wet and dirty when they played which meant that everyone became wet and dirty as well.

When the game against the homicide unit concluded the SVU team came out on top by one run. Everyone headed to the local cop bar where the thrash talking and joking continued. By the time Alex and Olivia were ready to leave they had quite a few drinks. Olivia had been joking with Alex that she was a mess and convinced her to come over to her apartment so she could get cleaned up. Of course it didn’t take much convincing to get her to come over.

They made out in the cab as if they were two teenagers on a date so by the time they made into Olivia’s apartment the kissing had become more intense. When they finally pulled apart Olivia went to get them both a bottle of water. When she came back Alex had turned on the stereo and was swaying her hips to the music. Olivia went up behind her wrapping her arms around her waist and moved along with her placing kisses along her neck.

“I thought you wanted to take a shower so you can get cleaned up.”

“Only if you take one with me since you are just as dirty as me,” Alex said as she leaned back and kissed the brunette.

Olivia didn’t let go of her waist as she walked them both toward the bathroom as she kissed her neck. She moved her hands all over her body trying to keep them both balanced as passion quickly rose. Alex turned in her arms so they could be facing each other so she could take part in kissing the brunette. Facing each other also gave them the advantage of being able to remove each other’s clothing. By the time they reached the bathroom they both were only in their underwear. This wasn’t the first time they had seen each like this but every time they were going to go further something always seemed to get in the way like a new victim or the need for a search warrant. Tonight they were both free of any work obligations and had arranged to make sure no one was going to contact them in any way.

Olivia was able to break away long enough to start the shower and adjust the temperature so it just perfect. The task of removing their underwear almost caused them not to actually make it into the shower. If it wasn’t for them backing into the shower due to their enthusiastic maneuvering they may have not thought to take a shower until much later.   They did need to take another shower because they were hot and sweaty but for a much more pleasurable reason then winning a softball game.

The next morning when Alex awoke she rolled over to touch her lover but found the space empty except for a note in the spot her lover should have been. She had been sleeping so soundly and peacefully that she had not felt her get out of bed. She called out for her but there was no answer. She sat up feeling both hurt and angry.

“How could she just leave like that? Didn’t last night mean anything to her?” she said loudly to no one but an empty room. She was getting furious feeling like a one night stand until she remembered that she was in Olivia’s apartment.

She picked up the note and as she read it she felt tears roll down her cheeks.

_My beautiful lover,_

_This is not how I wanted to spend the first morning after making love with you. You looked so beautiful and peaceful that I didn’t have the heart to wake you. I’m sorry that I had to leave but the captain called and a four year child had been kidnapped by a known pedophile and he needed everyone to respond. I know you understand why I had to go but it still doesn’t make me feel any better about it. I wanted to wake up in your beautiful arms to relive last night over again with you. I studied your body before I left so I can commit every luscious curve of your body to memory. I know that could be dangerous knowing that I have to concentrate to find that child but it will motivate me to work harder so I can get back to you sooner. I hope I find you in my bed when I get home looking like the goddess you are because I want that vision of you forever._

_When I think about last night I can’t take the grin off my face and when I think about the woman that put it there I’m glad I brought another pair of panties with me. [smile]_

_If the case goes long, can I please see you tonight? I’ll come to your place or we can meet somewhere for a bite to eat or coffee. I just want to see you so I can apologize properly for leaving you this morning. You know I wouldn’t have left you if it wasn’t work._

_Until we see each other again…_

_Olivia_

_P.S. I left something for you in the kitchen_

She threw off the covers and hurried to the kitchen to see what Olivia had left her. Looking franticly around for what it could be, she stopped short when she saw her surprise on the table. Olivia must have gone out early enough to get her favorite pastry and juice from the deli that she once told her about that she loved. She also got her the morning paper. But she ignored all of it when she saw the single red rose in a crystal vase with a small note propped against the vase…’thank you for last night’.

Alex brought the note to her chest and felt closer to her love as she remembered that first time with Olivia. She leaned back resting her head on the back of the couch replaying every moment of the night holding the note gently in her hands as she caressed it softly. Going through the box she found other notes and letters from other occasions that the two had sex. Reading all the notes and reliving the memories caused her to feel that same warmth and pleasure all over again that she decided to… take a break to regain her focus to continue reading.

When she returned back to the couch and her box of memories she had made herself a sandwich realizing she hadn’t eaten since this morning and changed into a pair of sweats and her favorite long sleeve T-shirt of Olivia’s. She had a wide grin on her face as she put the box on her lap. It had been a while since she had the time to remember back over the memories of her life with Olivia. She just wished that she was sharing these things with the woman she loved. She hated that it had taken Olivia being gone for her to go through her box of memories.

With that thought her mood rapidly changed to melancholy and sadness because the realization that Olivia was not there with her suddenly hit her again. Remembering that she had left the half drank bottle of wine and glass on the coffee table; she refilled the glass and took a healthy swallow of the red liquid hoping to help settle her emotions.

She reached into the box and took another letter from the box. It was a foil leaf card with a simple red rose painted on the front that said _Forgive Me_ in beautiful calligraphy. As she remembered why she had received the card she began to softly cry.  

They had been dating for over 6 months and everything was going so well between them. The closer they grew the more comfortable they became at sharing the intimate details of their lives that they had only shared with only a few select others. Olivia felt comfortable enough to talk about her parentage and why she fought so hard to join the SVU.  

Alex felt safe enough to talk about her family connections that most people thought helped her make the quick rise through the ranks of the DA’s office. Everyone figured that because her uncle was a county judge on the short list for consideration for the Supreme Court that he helped her get into the DA office because she couldn’t get a job anywhere else. Little did anyone know she had turned down several job offers to work at some of the largest and most prestigious law firms in New York, Washington DC and California to take a position with the New York District Attorney’s Office. She had to get pass the reputation as being called the debutante princess and the taunts that were being whispered in the hallways about her only able to handle jaywalker cases. Because of the taunts and jokes about her it made her more determined to get appointed to the SVU department and hone her image as the ice queen bitch.

Their separate desires to be a part of the SVU division became the thing that brought them closer even though their reasons for wanting to be a part of the squad were different.  But it was also the thing that caused the most intense disagreements between them as well. It was one of these intense disagreements that were behind the apology card she was looking at now.

Olivia and Eliot had been going after a father who had been molesting his daughter for many years and made have also started to molest her younger sister. They had been working the case for about two weeks and couldn’t get a protective order to remove the children from the home without any definitive proof. And it didn’t help that the suspect was a well-known business man who had connections with the mayor’s office and the police chief’s office.  Alex wasn’t able to even get a search warrant so they could try to gather evidence from other sources especially since they were not getting any cooperation with his wife and they couldn’t get close to the children after they denied that their father was doing anything to them. She claimed there wasn’t sufficient evidence to convince a judge to grant it.

This was what started the first incident of personal jabs between them when Olivia made an off handed joke about getting her uncle to get the search warrant for her. And that’s when Alex accused her of using personal information shared in confidence for her own personal gain. Even though the argument that followed the comments was seen by everyone in the squad room as just the two passionate women talking, Eliot knew it wasn’t just there regular disagreement especially when called each other detective and counselor.

“Counselor I thought you felt just as strongly about getting this piece of filth off the street or would you would just rather bend over to the suits downtown to show you are just like them,” Olivia said as she stood about a foot away from the blonde.

“Detective you should know better than that. I am doing everything I can legally do. You need to take personal opinions out of this and find me some evidence I can use,” Alex fired back in her prosecutor voice.

Before Olivia could return fire, Eliot was able to escort the women into a vacant interview room before they were able to say things in public that they couldn’t explain away.

“Ladies work this out so we can get back to making an arrest.” He gave them both a stern look before closing the door.

They stood staring at each other for several minutes from opposite sides of the room. Their anger continued to grow even they were both unclear if was the case itself or the things that had been said.

Finally Olivia stepped forward and said, “Look, if you wanted to you could get us that warrant. You know this guy is raping his daughters and he’s probably doing the same thing to his wife. If you are trying to prove that you are an ice queen bitch, don’t worry you’ve done it.”

“That’s not fair! I can’t help it if you can’t see things clear enough because you are working through your daddy issues. I want him off the street as bad as you do but I need to do it legally so he stays locked up.  And I will not go running to my uncle just because it can’t happen right away. I don’t want to have it blow up because we rushed to get something done.”

Olivia stood inches from the blonde with her fist clinched breathing heavy. “What did you say to me? This has nothing to do with my father. Maybe this has more to do with you trying to escape your privileged background. At least I accept where I come from and am trying to make things better and not run away.”

Alex was speechless. She couldn’t believe that Olivia thought she was just doing this to prove a point to about her upbringing. She knew that was a cheap shot to bring up Olivia’s father but how could she think I’m doing this to prove that I’m just like them. And before she could think it through clearly the thought was out of her mouth. “I guess you really don’t know me at all. Maybe this is a mistake.”

“What’s a mistake? You being ADA for specials victims.”

“No. Us. I’m gonna go do my job now.” With that she walked out the door and the squad room.

Olivia just looked at the door and couldn’t believe how this all went so horribly wrong. Could she be right? What type of future could they possibly have together? They were so different and she was probably just using her to prove to everyone that she was different from what people thought. “I don’t have time for this. I gotta get that scum away from those children.” She said to herself as she went back to solving the case with or without the help of the ADA.

Before going back to her office she was able to find a judge willing to sign off on the search warrant for the detectives’ case. She had the warrant delivered to the squad by a legal aid because she couldn’t face Olivia again after everything that was said. She knew that she ruined that best thing she had going for her because she let her pride get in the way. Of course Olivia was passionate about this case just like she was every case. Alex knew that she would never forgive her for throwing something so personal, so private in her face. It wasn’t a huge secret about her uncle and her aspiration to pursue a political career in the future but Olivia had told her those things about her mother and her birth in confidence. She trusted her enough to tell her those things and she threw them in her face as a cheap payback. Alex’s pride was her biggest obstacle.

It had been almost a week since they saw or spoke to each other either professionally or personally. Alex still sent legal aides to communicate with the squad so she wouldn’t have to see Olivia. And the detective sent her partner when she needed to talk to the ADA.

Eliot attempted to be the peace maker especially since Olivia was about ready to rip everyone’s head off. He was the only one who knew about his partner’s relationship with the blonde ADA and knew she was so much happier since they had been together. He felt it was his duty to help salvage the best chance his partner had at happiness and secure the safety of everyone around her to try to fix this. He knew that Alex was miserable every time he had gone to her office. She would spend all of his time talking about the brunette and how she had tried to make amends but she would not talk to her.

When Eliot returned back from his errand and felt good that the mood in the squad room was calm. Olivia was at her desk pouring over the evidence that they gathered after they executed the search warrant and didn’t hear her partner approach her desk until he sat down and got her attention.

“Anything interesting?” He received a non-committal grunt. “You know we wouldn’t have any of this if it wasn’t for Alex finding a judge willing to get us the warrant. Obviously wants to get this guy as much as we do. I don’t know what you guys said to each other but can only imagine.  You two are good together and you need to work this out. You are both stubborn women so one of you is gonna have to give first or you will be fighting forever.”

“Why do you care Eliot? It’s not affecting me solving this case. I think we have what we need to make a solid arrest and have it stick no matter who ends up prosecuting the case.”

He realized she was going to more stubborn then he thought. “Olivia! I know it just wasn’t her that said ugly words. She has tried to apologize to you. So what’s the real cause you can’t let this go and make up?”  Eliot tried to reason with her.

She put the file down for the first time and looked at him. He could see by the sadness that was being hidden by the anger in her eyes since this mess began with the two of them and he knew he had finally gotten through to her.

She looked down at her hands as she softly spoke. “She’s better off without me El. She would have left me eventually. It’s better that it happened now before we were too far into this thing. She will be okay. She will find someone more compatible with her goals in life.” She picked up a pen and began doodling on a scrap of paper to give her something to take her attention to keep her tears at bay.

“That may be what you think she needs, but you’re not doing okay and I don’t believe that’s what you want or her. You are both miserable.”

“How do you know what she wants?”

“We’ve talked. She wanted to know how you were doing and how she could make it up to you. She loves you Liv. And you love her. Any fool can see that. Talk to her, please. The rest of us are tired trying to stay out of your line of fire.” He gave her a smile as he squeezed her shoulder.

She gave him a small smile in return letting him know that he was heard. As he got up to go back to his desk she said good naturedly, “I haven’t been that bad have I?”

As he sat down he laughed out, “Uh, yeah you have. Talk to her.”

Olivia knew he was right but she had to figure out the right time and way to do it. Before she could find the time to talk to her, they made the arrest. Alex was apprehensive about coming to the squad room because she knew Olivia would be there and she was not aware that Olivia wanted to talk to her but she wanted to try to get him to plead out so his daughters wouldn’t have to testify. She also knew that he would work the media and try to tip the scales in his favor and she couldn’t have that. She needed this win not only for the girls but for her Olivia.

Olivia and Eliot stood against the wall of the interview as Alex sat across from the suspect and his high price attorney. The ice queen bitch was holding court and her power would not be denied. Watching her work this guy Olivia realized why she fell in love with her and how she earned the title of ice queen bitch. She almost felt sorry for the guy if she wasn’t so turned on by watching her work. A simple ‘I’m sorry’ was not going to be enough. Once she got what she wanted from the suspect, Olivia left the room not able to see or say anything to the woman she loved at that moment.

After the suspect and his lawyer were led out of the room she was anxious to see the expression on Olivia’s face. Alex’s heart sank when she turned around and only saw Eliot standing there.

“She hates me that much that she couldn’t stand to be in the same room with me,” Alex said as her ice queen exterior started to crumble.

“No Alex, she loves you that much that she doesn’t know how to make it right. I saw her face as she watched you work that guy over. She’s in love with you. Don’t give up on her. You’re the best thing that’s happened to her and she’s scared that she’ll mess it up,” Eliot said trying to console the blonde.

“How could she be scared of messing things up when I was the one that all but said we should break up?”

“Give her time Alex.”

And wait she did. She figured she owned her that much.

It was a few days later when Olivia appeared able to be in the room with her and actually acknowledged her presence. A few days after that, she initiated a short but meaningful conversation. Alex wanted to jump for joy but knew she had to treat her like a scared rabbit and shouldn’t make any sudden movements and scare her away.

Alex was feeling more hopeful as the days proceeded. She believed that they were becoming friends again and she held the hope in her heart that they could recapture what they had before they let their stubbornness get in the way. Even though she was coming home alone tonight she was feeling light because she and Olivia actually spent time together alone earlier that afternoon. Granted it was only to have a cup of coffee but they were together and talked about something besides work and cases.

When she got off the elevator to her floor she stopped short when she got to her door. There on the floor was a white orchid in full bloom next to a simple white envelope. She knew who it was from before she even picked it up. She almost forgot to bring in her briefcase when she opened her front door focusing so intently to bring her cherished gift inside. She sat the orchid and envelope on her dining room table as she threw her other belongings on the floor by the door.

Taking a seat in front of the beautiful plant all she could do was stare at it for several minutes as she took in the delicate grace of the flower. She gently caressed the pedals of the flower as she tried to think of the thoughts that Olivia must have put in to picking the plant out. She then picked up the envelope and turned it over in her hands looking at it from all sides before she opened it. It was a letter written on lavender stationary.

_Alexandra,_

_I could have gotten you a large bouquet of red roses but they would only last a short time. I wanted something that would last like your beauty. I also wanted something that could last as long as I hope we can last together. Just like the orchid it can survive for many years with careful love, dedication and nurturing._

_I let my insecurity get in the way of trusting what we had and I will understand if it will make it difficult for you to trust me. I understand why you would question if we should be together especially because of all the demons I carry not just from the job but my past. But I want you to know that I will do whatever I can to earn your trust back and prove to you that we are worth the try._

_I do love you, Alex. And I hope that you still love me._

_I will wait for you for as long as it takes._

_Olivia_

 Alex brought her hands down heavily as the letter slipped out of her grasp lightly floating to the table.

“How could she take all the blame for what happen? We were both to blame. I was the one that told her that maybe we shouldn’t be together. I added to those demons that she is fighting. Oh my Olivia…I need you to believe me that I will be worthy of your trust. You won’t have to wait long my love,” Alex said as she again stroked the soft pedals of the orchid envisioning the soft cheeks of Olivia’s face.

She stood up and was about to go out of the door when she thought she should change out of her work clothes. Needing to feel as comfortable and unencumbered by what her power suits represented she changed into her most comfortable jeans and a simple cotton T-shirt and let her apartment to earn back the love of her woman.

Eliot informed her that they were able to have an early day in comparison to their typical 15 plus hour day and Olivia had gone home to veg out in front of the TV. Alex knew that this was a cherished activity for her when she was able to spend time at home.

When she knocked on her door she was not expecting her to answer in a pair of black boxers and a white tank top. Alex was speechless as she stared at the brunette.

“Hi Alex. What are you doing here?” she said with confusion.

Alex swallowed hard as she tried to answer. Her first instinct was to take her right there but she knew she had to be patient and couldn’t make this encounter about sex.

“Hi. I just wanted to tell you thank you for the orchid. It is beautiful. I will need to read up on how to properly care for it though.” Alex heard the sound of laughing coming from the TV. “You watching a TV comedy?”

Olivia turned to look over her shoulder at the TV and then turned back and gave the blonde a goofy smile. “Would you like to come in?”

“Only if it’s not an imposition. I know you don’t get a chance to watch much TV.”

“Please come in.”

Alex followed her over to the couch where an episode ‘Friends’ was blaring from the television. Olivia picked up the remote and muted the sound.

“Olivia I need to ask you something. Will you forgive me and take me back? I know it will take a lot for you to trust me again but I am willing to do whatever I need to do to make that happen.” She stated rapidly so that the detective wouldn’t interrupt especially since she was using the same apology that she had given her in the letter.

Olivia dropped her head as she let out a laugh mixed with a sob. “Counselor, you should be careful that you don’t get arrested for plagiarism. I hear it’s a felony to copy someone else’s words.”

“You know where I can find a good detective to investigate my case to make sure that all the facts have been discovered?” She smiled brightly at the woman as she took her hand in hers. “Olivia, I think if we were both being honest with ourselves, we were both being stupid. I should have never said that we shouldn’t be together and you should have trusted that I would do what I could to help you put that scum away. We are both passionate and stubborn when it comes to our jobs and that’s why I love you so much. I love you Liv and I want to do whatever has to be done to make us work. What do you say?”

Olivia just stared at her for several long moments and then pulled the blonde into a soul shaking passionate kiss.

When they parted for air Alex panted, “I take that is a yes.” Olivia kissed her again.

They did talk about what had happened between them after they made love in the living room and in the bedroom. Both women called in sick the next day where they took the time fix the mistakes that they made in their relationship.

 

When Eliot saw Olivia and Alex again in the squad room he figured that they must have worked things out because they were back to their flirty selves.

Alex refolded the letter placing it back in the box and turned the page in her diary. She looked at the orchid that was sitting on the corner table that was in bloom again as she thought about how close they had come to splitting up over something so silly. They had more arguments since then but they learned how to take their space and then come back to work things out. She knew that these trials in their relationship are what made their relationship stronger.

The next card she took out of the box was a thank you card that she received on their first anniversary. She had arranged for them to have a romantic dinner and take a carriage ride through Central Park. They ended the evening back at Alex’s apartment where spent the rest of the night showing each other how much they loved each other.

Because neither of them got much sleep the previous night they had to use the energy that they had generated the previous night to keep them functioning throughout the day. Alex had to appear in court that morning for several arraignments so she was grateful that they were routine and she didn’t have to think too much outside the box. When she returned back to her office she was pleasantly surprised to find a box lunch from her favorite restaurant and a single red rose in a crystal vase with a card leaning against it. She knew immediately who it was from.

She picked the card and a great big smile covered her face. Her nether regions began to get moist and hot as she recalled the lovemaking that she and her brunette shared last night.

_Alex_

_Thank you for taking me back. Last night was amazing and I am still tingling from your touch. You were amazing and I hope that there will be more nights like that in our future._

_I brought you some lunch because I figured you would be too busy to get something on your own. Besides I figured you will need your strength for tonight…at least I hope there will be a tonight._

_Have a good day._

_Liv_

Alex brought the note to her heart and as she recalled the moments from last night. She was so caught up in her erotic thoughts that she didn’t hear her aide come into her office.

“Ms. Cabot…Ms. Cabot…I’m sorry to bother you while you have your lunch.” She said as she saw the box lunch on her desk.

Once she noticed her aide standing in front of her desk she brought the note and her hands quickly down to her lap. “Alice, that’s okay. I guess I was just lost in thought that I didn’t hear you come in. What is it that you need?”

As the aide explained that a defense attorney was waiting to meet with her about one of cases she did her best to keep from blushing.

“Thank you, Alice. Let them know I will be with them shortly, after I finish my lunch that is.” Alex felt that since they didn’t have an appointment they could wait until she finished her lunch. Besides it might put her in a better place to make a deal for a quick resolution to the case.

~~~~~~~~~~~

As Alex placed the note back in her box she didn’t bother to worry about the blushing that came over her as she thought of that night and the many more that followed.  She found the card that she was given for their first anniversary. The card wasn’t that special but she remembered all the effort that Olivia went through to surprise her but failing miserably to pull it off.

The detective had arranged for a romantic dinner in a Central Park rose garden under the moonlight. It all started out well. There was a jazz quartet that was playing close enough so that the music could be heard where they were set to dine. But that was the last of their good fortune.

Several nights before there was a random rain shower and there were still puddles of water scattered around where they were to eat.  And because the puddles had been standing water they attracted mosquito larvae that had started to hatch. The delivery van for the restaurant she had ordered their dinner from got caught in a traffic jam and was over an hour late in delivering the food. When it finally arrived not only was it cold but it was the wrong order. Olivia first argued with the deliveryman and when that got her nowhere she called the restaurant and yelled at the manager. When it was all said and done, the best she got was a promise for a free dinner at the restaurant sometime in the future.

They still were able to salvage what they could of the cold dinner although Olivia wished she had made arrangements to have more than one bottle of wine with their meal. Even though the meal wasn’t what she had planned she was happy that she would be able to share a dance with the one she loved. 

“I’m sorry that our dinner wasn’t what it was supposed to be but at least I can hold you in my arms and dance with you.” Olivia stood and reached out her hand for Alex to join her in a dance. She was so focused on looking into her blue eyes that she didn’t notice that the night was getting darker than it should be with a full moon. At first they didn’t notice that the band had stopped playing until they felt the rain drops. It was just a few at first and then they started coming down more constantly until they began to fall with more intensity. It had been a nice evening so neither woman brought anything heavier than a light sweater. They also took a cab to the park and because the other concert goers would also be scrambling to get a cab, Olivia knew they would be soaked before they were able to get home.

By the time they made it back to Olivia’s apartment they both looked like drowned rats with hair matted to their heads and faces, makeup running down their faces and shoes sloshing with the water and mud they had collected in their journey home. Even though they were finally able to get a cab they still had to walk through puddles to get to where they were going.

Olivia stomped through her apartment getting dry towels for both of them as she swore under her breath about how horrible the night had gone after all the preparation she put into the night. She was trying her best to hide her emotions from Alex but she wasn’t doing a good job.

As the brunette was opening and slamming closed a cabinet door the blonde went up behind her and wrapped her arms tightly around her pulling her damp body close to her as she kissed her neck as she whispered into her ear.

“Thank you for the most romantic night of my life. There is no one that I would want to be caught in a sudden rain storm than you. You can stop looking for the towels to dry us off because we are going to be keep getting wetter before the night is over.”

Olivia turned around in her arms and stared lovingly into her blue eyes before claiming her lips in a searing passionate kiss. With each of their need for air they removed various articles of clothing as they made their way to the bedroom. All thoughts of a rained out and ruined romantic dinner and evening were washed away with each passionate moan and each erotic orgasm they shared with each throughout the rest of their night.

Alex was holding the card with both hands covering her heart with a smile that told the story of that night she spent with her lover. The longer she sat there on the coach reminiscing about that wonderful night an overwhelming feeling of sadness came over her as thoughts about the past, present and future swirled in her mind.

Her lover was not there and it had been over a month since she had come to terms that she was not coming back. She was grateful in the beginning when her friends would check in with her to make sure she was okay especially since Olivia was gone so suddenly. She still didn’t understand what happen to her. They were so happy and Alex had even been fantasizing about the day that Olivia would want to make it official and ask her to marry. The thoughts of beginning the next phase of theirs lives and even starting a family.

Alex was beginning to have second thoughts about her decision to return to work. She could always claim that she had a relapse. The illness that she had been suffering from kept her out of work for the last month. It wasn’t all bad being home as it gave her time to come grip with being alone again. Now she wished she would have never found that note from Olivia because it would have stopped her from going down memory lane reliving experiences that she would never have again. As her mood spiraled downward her tears flooded her eyes and she found she didn’t have the strength to stop them so she gave into them and curled into a tight ball on the couch.

She wasn’t sure how long she had been lying there as she had cried herself to sleep. The sound of the constant knocking at her door jolted her awake. It took her a few moments to orient herself to what was happening. Walking to the door for no other reason to stop whoever it was knocking on her door so she could be left alone. She wasn’t sure how she would handle if it was one of the guys coming to check up on her. They probably heard that she was coming back and wanted to come by to welcome her back. All she wanted was to be left alone with her own thoughts and…sadness.

She flung the door open ready to unload her anger on whoever was standing on the other side of the door. What or who she saw left her speechless.

She stood there for a long time not saying a word until the person in her doorway spoke up.

“Are you Miss Cabot? I just need you to sign for these.” A young man held out a clipboard for her signature. Once she scribbled her name the young man handed her a large bouquet of ruby red roses and a brown teddy bear holding a card. She took all of it in her arms as she watched the deliveryman head to the elevator. Standing there for another minute looking down the hallway and then back at the items in her arms she finally snapped out of her haze and went back inside.  eheh

She sat heavily in a chair at her dining table and gently placed everything in front of her. She pulled the card out of the bear’s grasp. The envelope had the nickname that Olivia always called her doing those quiet special times that they shared. It even looked like it was printed in her handwriting, “Lexie.”

Using her fingers to trace the simple letters of the name on the envelope, tears once again came to her eyes as she tried to figure out how this was happening. “Is someone playing a cruel trick on me? How could I get anything from her? She’s gone…”

Carefully opening the envelope so not to tear any part of the envelope she slowly extracted the card placed inside. She let out a sad chuckle when she read the front of the card. With everything that had been happening she had completely forgot that today was her birthday. With Olivia being gone she felt no need to remember or celebrate such occasions like her birthday.

“Damn you, Olivia! It would be just like you to remember something like this. You probably had this arranged months ago. I miss you so much baby,” she said as she caressed the arm of the bear as she held the card in her other hand.

Opening the card she expected to see a generic birthday sentiment but felt the air leave her lungs when she saw a handwritten note along with the simple ‘Happy Birthday’ sentiment from the card company.

 

_Lexie,_

_I wanted you to know that I would never forget such a special day as your birth._

_Because of that day, I was given the most wonderful gift, you._

_The teddy bear is to give you the hugs and love you deserve until I can give those things to you in person. And each petal on each flower is to remind you of every day that I love you._

_Happy Birthday Sweetheart Y_

_Forever in my heart,_

_Liv_

 

Once she had recovered from the emotion of the birthday surprise, she took the flowers and lovingly placed them in her favorite crystal vase that she had received another bouquet from her lover and then placed them on the mantle so that they would be able to be seen from all angles in the living room. She then took the card and the bear over to the couch and took out the journal and made the entry about the birthday card and gifts. After placing the card in the box she went to the stereo and put on one of her favorite love songs. She then took the bear and hugged him tightly as she swayed to the music imaging that she and Olivia were sharing a dance.

_**Love letters straight from your heart** _

_**Keep us so near while apart** _

_**I'm not alone in the night** _

_**When I can have all the love you write** _

_**I memorize every line** _

_**And I kiss the name that you sign** _

_**And darling, then I read again right from the start** _

_**Love letters straight from your heart** _

_**I memorize every line** _

_**And I kiss the name that you sign** _

_**And darling, then I read again right from the start** _

_**Love letters straight from your heart** _

_**Love letters straight from your** _

_**Love letters straight from your heart** _

_**Love letters straight from your heart** _

_Love letters Songwriters: HEYMAN/YOUNG_

Alex had put the song on repeat so she wouldn’t have to stop dancing and could continue to hold onto this memory forever knowing that she wouldn’t get another chance to dance with the love of her life.

The tune could be heard out in the hallway which caused the person on the other side of the door to stop and listen. All that could be heard was the tune and faint footsteps moving in a rhythmic pattern. Quietly opening the door the figure slipped inside so not to interrupt the dancer. Slipping gently behind the dancer and matching the rhythm of the blonde’s steps as arms were wrapped around her waist.

The blonde was so caught up in her fantasy that it didn’t register that there was anyone in the room with her until she felt the warm air coming from the whispers around her ear.

“Happy birthday beautiful. I love you.”

Alex stopped dancing, stopped moving, stopped breathing once she registered what was happening. She didn’t want to believe this was happening. She felt that she was going insane because she knew this couldn’t be real.

“You’re not here. You can’t be here. They all said you were gone,” Alex said softly trying to convince herself… of what she wasn’t sure.

“I am here baby. I’m sorry I was gone so long. I have been trying to get back to you every day since the day I left.” She started to move them both to the music again for a few more minutes before she spoke again. “Alex please look at me, I’ve missed your beautiful face.”

Turning shakily in the arms of the woman she feared was just a ghost she couldn’t look her in the face for fear that it wasn’t real and this would all disappear.  As she was faced the woman she continued to look down at the floor. Slender fingers lifted her chin up so she had look at her.

“Oliv…Olivia…is it… really you?” she said with sobs that was making it difficult for her to speak.

“Yes it’s me baby.” She leaned in and kissed her softly on her forehead and then tenderly on her lips.

It was as though the sun had begun to shine and oxygen was allowed to enter her body again. Yes, she may have started to feel like she was gaining her equilibrium back after all the time that her lover was gone but with that one chaste kiss she realized she had only been surviving. Now she felt that life had come back into her into her world again, her meaning for living had returned.

“Hello.” It was just a simple word but the statement said so much.

“Hi.” Olivia kissed her again but more passionately this time. The kiss was an attempt to make up for all the missing time that they had lost. When the need for air became important, the couple rested their foreheads together. “I guess I should tell you what happened and why I have been gone so long.”  

“I want to hear all of that but right now I just want you to hold me. I need you in my arms. I have to make sure that you are real and aren’t going away again.” Alex wrapped her arms tightly around her as still held the teddy bear.

“I can’t think of anything I rather be doing. Why don’t we go to the bedroom where we can be more comfortable?”

Without a word Alex led Olivia to the bedroom still wrapped securely in her arms fearing that if she let her go she would disappear and this would all be a cruel dream. Olivia laid them both gently on the bed and covered them with quilt that was on the bed. Alex snuggled into the brunette’s neck where she inhaled the scent of her lover, inhaled the scent of home. As she absorbed all the touches and smells that she didn’t think she would ever experience again, she couldn’t stop the tears that flowed from her eyes. The months of stress, sadness and loneliness were all catching up with her intermixed with her overwhelming joy at having her lover back in her arms where she belonged. She wanted to ask her where she had been and what had caused her to go away for so long but she now knew that there would be time to ask those questions. Now, she just wanted… no, now she needed to feel her heart beat as one with her true love.

**_The end?... or just the beginning_ **

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Here’s a fun fact I found while writing this story: the rose has approximately 20 to 40 velvety petals. Read more: How many petals does the average rose have? | Answerbag http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/1794908#ixzz33EwS9njZ
> 
> Please let me know what you think. I hope romance is still alive for everyone out there.


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